


Quid Pro Quo

by kiboutozetsubou



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [9]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M, idk man i didnt go too into it lol, some au where the phantom thieves are just regular vigilantes, we need more flirty akira and flustered goro pls it is my lifeforce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 04:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12124074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiboutozetsubou/pseuds/kiboutozetsubou
Summary: 53. "I'm flirting with you."





	Quid Pro Quo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [soulgems](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulgems/gifts).



> i love shuake help me

 

They finally caught the leader of the Phantom Thieves. **  
**

At first, Goro was more than annoyed that they weren’t going to let him into the interrogation room. It wasn’t  _technically_  his case, after all--he was still “just” a high school student who helped the police out from time to time. He didn’t see it that way: the Phantom Thief case was  _his_ , and he was more competent at it than anyone else on the case, anyway.

He stumbled upon a lucky break, though. The Phantom Thief leader--Akira Kurusu was his name, as it turns out--wouldn’t talk, and the only thing of substance anyone had gotten him to say was “I want to see Goro Akechi.”

Bizarre, to be sure, as Goro has never met this boy before. But he won’t look his gift horse in the mouth, and readily agrees when they practically beg him to meet with Akira.

He arrives at the interrogation room with excitement buzzing through his veins. The Phantom Thief leader had asked to see him. If he could get him to talk, he would be praised among his colleagues and given the respect and attention he deserved. Hardly anyone in the force seemed to take him seriously, despite the fact that his deductive skills far exceeded theirs. They never would’ve gotten this far without him.

When he opens the door, he sees Akira cuffed to the table, grinning at him. He had already seen photographs of the boy, but none with that devious look on his face. He certainly looked more like “Joker,” his Phantom Thief persona, that way.

Goro smiles politely, intending to charm his way through this conversation, as he does with most others. Before he can speak, however, Akira beats him to it.

“They actually sent you,” he says, with a hint of wonder in his voice. “They must really be desperate to make me talk.”

Goro feels his face twitch minutely, and he hopes his annoyance at the comment isn’t obvious. He walks to the table, sitting down across from Akira, legs crossed. “We’re trying to make you comfortable.” His gaze roams along Akira’s face, finding it unblemished. Sae Niijima must have been assuring that he wouldn’t be treated too roughly. “How are you doing in here?”

Akira shrugs. “It’s not so bad. I’m better now that you’re here.”

Something about the familiar way he says that makes Goro feel a bit flustered, but he decides to ignore it and move on. “Since you asked for me, I assume you know me from my television interviews.”

It isn’t a surprise that Akira would have heard of him from his semi-celebrity status surrounding this case. It is a bit befuddling why he would be a fan, though.

“I may have seen a few,” Akira admits. “But I have to say, you look even better in person.”

He punctuates this statement with a  _wink_ , of all things. Goro feels a bit at a loss. He’s used to these sorts of comments, but not from other men--and definitely not men that he is trying to interrogate. He’s also acutely aware that this room is being heavily monitored, and does not want to be made a fool of.

“Thank you, Kurusu-kun,” he responds awkwardly, trying to maintain a pleasant smile.

“Akira.”

“Hm?” Goro blinks, bemused.

“Call me Akira. If you don’t mind.”

“... Alright then… Akira. I’m sure you know what I came in here to discuss with you.”

Akira looks almost triumphant when his name leaves Goro’s mouth, but then his smile dissipates. “You want me to talk about the other Phantom Thieves.”

It was a well-known fact that the Phantom Thieves were a group. They all had their distinct code names, and had even been seen in surveillance footage, but their costumes hid their identities. In the few days that Akira had been in custody, everyone was trying to persuade him to give any information at all about his partners in crime, but he hasn’t said a word.

“It doesn’t have to be them.” Goro leans forward, hoping he comes off as concerned. “If you can tell us about anyone who helped you, it would be very helpful. Both for us and for you. You seem like a good person, and I’d like to lessen your sentence on this--”

“Flattering,” Akira interrupts, sounding faintly amused. “But I’d rather talk about you.”

“Me?” Goro is getting the dreadful impression that he’s just being fucked with here, but maybe if he complies, Akira will give him something in return.

His other option is just throttling the annoying bastard, who’s really starting to try his patience--but there are cameras.

“Yes. You.” Akira nods. “I asked for you because I want to know more about you.”

“I’m not very interesting,” Goro warns.

“I beg to differ. Just answer a few questions for me?”

He’s always reluctant to talk about himself, but he can always lie, like he usually does. “What do you want to know?”

Akira tilts his head, looking contemplative for a few moments. “What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?”

Goro huffs out a laugh at that question. “Surely you know the answer to that from my interviews.” That was all anyone ever asked him anymore, after all.

“I’d rather hear it from you in person.”

After so many interviews, he doesn’t have any issue reciting the same tired lines. “The Phantom Thieves are a serious problem. They think they are just, because they target those they deem worthy of punishment. However, it is not their place to pass judgment on and punish others. That is the role of the justice system, and not individual citizens.”

His words sound very mechanical and exasperated, but Akira doesn’t comment on this. He only raises his eyebrows pointedly and says, “But don’t you think there are more important things to worry about? Like worse criminals?”

“Like the criminals the Phantom Thieves target?” Goro smiles wryly. “Just because there are ‘worse’ criminals does not mean the Phantom Thieves can be excused for breaking the law.”

Akira looks for a moment like he has more to say on the subject, but instead of pressing further, he just smiles, settling back comfortably into his chair. He does look comfortable, strangely enough, in spite of the circumstances. He pauses for a few moments before saying, “I just have one more question.”

“And what is that?” Goro asks. As tired as he is of this line of inquiry, he’s hoping that Akira will give him some information in return for his answers. He seems to like him well enough already.

“What do you think of ramen?”

Goro thinks for a moment that he must have heard wrong. Maybe he was hallucinating--how much sleep had he gotten recently? “What?”

“I know this great ramen place in Ogikubo,” Akira continues confidently, as though what he is saying isn’t at all abnormal. “Would you want to go with me sometime? I’d really like to talk more about this and get to know you.”

Goro has to concede that this is his reality, and not an insomnia-induced hallucination. Apparently, his composure can only last so long in the face of such a reality.

“What the hell are you saying?”

Akira’s expression twists into an unmistakable smirk. “I’m flirting with you, Goro.”

“Flirting--” Goro feels his face blazing, but he can’t tell if it’s more due to embarrassment or rage. He stands up from his chair abruptly, jaw set tight. “I can see this has been a huge waste of my time.”

Akira is silent for a few seconds, his smirk disappearing. He almost looks serious until he says, “So… is that a no?”

“You’re going to  _prison_ ,” Goro snaps, seething. “I don’t know if it escaped your notice, you moron, but you aren’t going to be getting ramen with  _anyone_  anytime soon!”

The smirk is back in full force, looking more amused than ever. “We’ll see about that.”

Unable to take any more, Goro storms out, livid and humiliated. No one dares to say a word to him, stunned by the extreme change from his usual polite and pleasant personality.

It seems the case is far from over.


End file.
